INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN NO. 58
EASTERN SHRUBLANDS AND WOODLANDS
(SWAN COASTAL PLAIN COMMUNITY 20C)
INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN
2000-2003
by
Val English and John Blyth
January 2000
Department of Conservation and
Land Management
Department of Conservation and Land Management Western
Australian Threatened Species and Communities Unit PO Box
51, Wanneroo, WA 6946
FOREWORD
Interim Recovery Plans (IRPs) are developed within the framework laid down in Department of
Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Policy Statements Nos 44 and 50.
IRPs outline the recovery actions that are required to urgently address those threatening processes most
affecting the ongoing survival of threatened taxa or ecological communities, and begin the recovery process.
CALM is committed to ensuring that Critically Endangered ecological communities are conserved through the
preparation and implementation of Recovery Plans or Interim Recovery Plans and by ensuring that
conservation action commences as soon as possible and always within one year of endorsement of that rank
by CALM's Director of Nature Conservation.
This Interim Recovery Plan will operate from 31 January 2000 but will remain in force until withdrawn or
replaced. It is intended that, if the ecological community is still ranked Critically Endangered, this IRP will be
replaced by a full Recovery Plan after three years.
The provision of funds identified in this Interim Recovery Plan is dependent on budgetary and other
constraints affecting CALM, as well as the need to address other priorities.
Information in this IRP was accurate at January 2000.
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SUMMARY
Name: Eastern shrublands and woodlands (Swan Coastal Plain community 20c)
Description: The community occurs mainly on the transitional soils of the Ridge Hill Shelf, on the Swan
Coastal Plain adjacent to the Darling Scarp, but also extends marginally onto the alluvial clays deposited on
the eastern fringe of the Swan Coastal Plain. The community occurs as a shrubland, or a woodland of
Banksia attenuata and Banksia menziesii, sometimes with Allocasuarina fraseriana, over a shrub layer
that can include the species Adenanthos cygnorum, Hibbertia huegelii, Scaevola repens var. repens,
Allocasuarina humilis, Bossiaea eriocarpa, Hibbertia hypericoides and Stirlingia latifolia. A suite of
herbs including Conostylis aurea, Trachymene pilosa, Lomandra hermaphrodita , Burchardia umbellata
and Patersonia occidentalis; and the sedges Mesomelaena pseudostygia and Lyginia barbata usually
occur in the community. The weeds Gladiolus caryophyllaceus and Ursinia anthemoides are also
common.
CALM Region(s): Swan
CALM District(s): Mundaring
Shire(s): Swan
Recovery Team: To be established. The team will be chaired by a CALM Swan Region representative.
The Recovery Team will report annually to CALM’s Corporate Executive.
Current status : Assessed 18 July 1996 as Critically Endangered
Habitat requirements : The plant community mainly occurs on soils mapped as the Forrestfield Unit of the
Ridge Hill Shelf (Churchward and McArthur 1980). The most northerly occurrence is on the junction of this
unit and the Guildford clays.
IRP Objective(s): To maintain or improve the overall condition of the community and reduce the level of
threat, with the aim of reclassifying it from Critically Endangered to Endangered.
Criteria for success:
An increase in the area of this community under conservation management.
Maintenance in terms of diversity and basic composition of native species (as described in Gibson et al.
1994 and DEP 1996) as well as biological processes, taking account of natural change of the community
over time.
Improvement in terms of reduction of numbers of exotic species and of other threatening processes as
defined in this document.
Criteria for failure : Significant loss of area or further modification of occurrences of the threatened
ecological community.
Recovery Actions:
1. Establish Recovery Team 14. Implement weed control
2. Liaise with landholders, management bodies and land 15. Fence Occurrence 1
managers
3. Clarify and monitor boundaries 16. Fence Occurrence 2 (timing dependent on transfer of care,
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control and management from the Department of Defence to
CALM)
4. Determine management requirements of other occurrences 17. Develop Management Plan for Occurrence 1
5. Disseminate information 18. Amalgamate VCL (Swan Locations 11314 and 11764), and
remnant in reserve 6955 if necessary, with reserve 23953,
6. Install markers 19. Alter purpose of reserve 23953
7. Monitor flora 20. Implement drainage strategy (for Occurrence 1)
8. Develop Fire Management Strategy 21. Control rabbits
9. Implement Fire Management Strategy 22. Transfer care control and management of threatened
communities in Bushmead Rifle Range to NPNCA
10. Implement dieback hygiene 23. Replanting / rehabilitation
11. Monitor dieback 24. Conduct research
12. Implement dieback treatments 25. Report on management strategies
13. Monitor weed populations 26. Negotiate to transfer reserve 23953 to NPNCA if necessary
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1. BACKGROUND
1.1 History, defining characteristics of ecological community, conservation significance and
status
The plant community ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands (Swan Coastal Plain community 20c; Gibson et al.
1994)’ hereafter described as ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’) occurs on the eastern Swan Coastal Plain
in the foothills of the Darling Scarp. The community reflects this transitional landform and soil zone between
the Scarp and the Swan Coastal Plain with many species, such as Templetonia biloba, present in the
community being more common on the Scarp. The assemblage also contains species such as Neurachne
alopecuroidea more commonly associated with marri - wandoo woodlands on heavy soils (Gibson et al.
1994).
The community as described by Gibson et al. (1994) and DEP (1996) occurs as a shrubland, or a woodland
of Banksia attenuata and Banksia menziesii, sometimes with Allocasuarina fraseriana. The shrub layer
can include the species Adenanthos cygnorum, Hibbertia huegelii, Scaevola repens var. repens,
Allocasuarina humilis, Bossiaea eriocarpa, Hibbertia hypericoides and Stirlingia latifolia. A suite of
herbs including Conostylis aurea, Trachymene pilosa, Lomandra hermaphrodita , Burchardia umbellata
and Patersonia occidentalis; and the sedges Mesomelaena pseudostygia and Lyginia barbata usually
occur in the community. The weeds Gladiolus caryophyllaceus and Ursinia anthemoides are also
common.
There are only two remaining occurrences of the community listed on CALM’s threatened ecological
communities database. One of these is in an area known as Talbot Road bushland in Stratton (Occurrence 1 -
refer Table 1), the other at Bushmead Rifle Range in Helena Valley (Occurrence 2). The occurrence in the
Bushmead Rifle Range was located in the System 6 Update study (DEP 1996). This occurred during the
integrated process of updating both the ‘System 6’ Conservation Through Reserves System
Recommendations and the Ministry for Planning Urban Bushland Strategic Plan, resulting in Perth’s Bushplan
(State of Western Australia 1998). An additional occurrence of the community was found during this process
and is listed in Perth’s Bushplan (State of Western Australia 1998). It is yet to be incorporated into the
threatened ecological communities database.
Although statistical analysis of plot data indicates the two sites on the threatened ecological communities
database are the same community, there are some significant differences in structure and composition of the
two sites (Gibson et al. 1994; DEP 1996). These differences may be due to natural variation in the
community (B. Keighery1 personal communication). Differences may also be partly attributed to
compositional changes in Occurrence 2 as a consequence of grazing (Ecologia Environmental Consultants
1991).
The ecological community ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ is located on a geomorphological unit adjacent
to the Darling Scarp described by Churchward and McArthur (1980) as the Forrestfield unit of the Ridge Hill
Shelf. The plant community is likely to have been rare even prior to extensive clearing of this
geomorphological unit (Gibson et al. 1994; B. Keighery personal communication). The Forrestfield Unit
consists of a belt one to three kilometre wide between the Darling and Gingin Scarps and the Darling Fault,
from Walyunga National Park to Harvey. This system has been extensively cleared for agriculture, mining,
forestry, and urban development. Only 3.1 percent of the original 14,414 hectares of the unit remained
uncleared in 1986 (Ecologia Environmental Consultants 1991). Several other areas of uncleared vegetation
remain on the Ridge Hill Shelf Unit - including at Yarloop, Maida Vale and Mundijong. However, none of
these areas contains the plant community known as ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’.
Only about 106 hectares of the community remain. About 38 hectares is in the care, control and management
of the Commonwealth of Australia for the use and requirements of the Army, about 40 hectares is managed
1
Bronwen Keighery, Department of Environmental Protection, 141 St Georges Terrace, Perth, 6000
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by the Shire of Swan, approximately 17 hectares is under the care, control and management of the
Cemeteries Board and about 11 hectares is unallocated Crown land.
Areas of very high conservation value such as Talbot Road bushland are usually recommended for placing
with the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority (NPNCA) for the purpose of Conservation of
Flora and Fauna. However, given the Shire of Swan’s commitment and interest in the area, it should be
possible to protect the conservation values of threatened ecological communities and threatened flora in the
bushland area initially through the mechanisms of this Interim Recovery Plan. If this is not possible, discussion
should commence towards transferring the care, control and maintenance of Talbot Road bushland to the
NPNCA.
Major threats to the community are weed invasion, dieback caused by Phytophthora species, clearing and
too frequent fire.
Table 1: Extent and location of occurrences
Occurrence Location Management body Estimated area
Number
1 reserve 23953, Talbot Road, Stratton Shire of Swan 40 hectares
Unallocated Crown land - Swan Location Unallocated 11 hectares
11314 (adjacent to the south west of
reserve 23953)
17 hectares
reserve 6955, Shire of Swan Cemeteries Board
2 Part Lot 9 on Diagram 4347, Helena Commonwealth of 38 hectares
Location 20a ,. Australia (for the use
Bushmead Rifle Range, Helena Valley of the Army)
1.2 Description of Occurrences
Both occurrences of the ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands are in the Shire of Swan.
Occurrence 1 of the community ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ as mapped by Keighery and Keighery
(1993) is on Talbot Road, Stratton. It occupies most of the central and western portions of reserve 23953.
This reserve covers a total of 66.77 hectares, of which community 20c covers approximately 40 hectares.
Housing developments occur to the west, east, north, and to the south east of reserve 23953. The community
also extends into unallocated Crown land - Swan Location 11314, to the south west of reserve 23953
(Keighery and Keighery 1993). This community occupies most of the 11 hectares covered by this area of
Crown land. The partly cleared Cemetery reserve 6955 is to the south of the unallocated Crown land and
community 20c occupies about 17 of the total 23.67 ha area of this reserve. A compensation basin, other
drainage areas, and an unused road reserve occur to the east of Swan Location 11314 and the Cemetery
reserve in areas managed by the Water Corporation or the Shire of Swan. Swan Location 11764, another
area of unallocated Crown land, occurs adjacent to the south eastern side of the cemetery reserve. Part of
this area has been cleared and mined for gravel historically.
All of the above listed areas are contiguous and consist mainly of remnant bushland. The area also supports
other threatened ecological communities described by Gibson et al. (1994). In particular, the critically
endangered Marri community Corymbia calophylla - Xanthorrhoea preissii woodlands and shrublands
(Gibson et al. 1994 - community type 3c) occurs to the east of this community within reserve 23953, in the
south eastern corner of reserve 6955, and in Swan Location 11764, unallocated Crown land (see below). This
entire remnant consisting of four separate land titles is referred to as ‘Talbot Road bushland’.
A 100 ha area that includes both of the critically endangered communities in the Talbot Road bushland has
been accepted for listing on the Register of the National Estate (Australian Heritage Commission 1997).
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The occurrence in Talbot Road bushland is mainly within class A reserve 23953 for ‘Recreation’ managed by
the Shire of Swan. The Shire has developed a management plan for this reserve (Safstrom and Taman 1999),
the boundaries of which are mostly fenced. The site is used by walkers and for other passive recreation. This
reserve has been burnt a number of times in recent years. Dieback caused by Phytophthora species occurs
in the remnant (Safstrom and Taman 1999), and laboratory testing has been undertaken to positively identify
the pathogen. Only a small portion of Talbot Road bushland is not infected with Phytophthora sp. Gravel has
been extracted from the south-eastern corner of reserve 23953.
The Priority three taxa (refer to Glossary for definitions) Isopogon drummondii and Lambertia multiflora
var. darlingensis ms and the priority four taxon Thysanotus glaucusis occur in the ‘eastern shrublands and
woodlands’ at Talbot Road (Gibson et al. 1994). Hakea myrtoides (Priority three) and Synaphea acutiloba
(also Priority three) are recorded from the critically endangered Marri community that also occurs within the
Talbot Road bushland. Talbot Road bushland also contains seven species of frogs, and a diverse invertebrate
fauna (How et al. 1996). The honey possum ( Tarsipes rostratus), which is nearly extinct in the Perth
Metropolitan region, has also been recorded in the Talbot Road Reserve (How et al. 1996).
Occurrence 2 in Bushmead Rifle Range has been subject to some historical disturbance. The main
disturbance is likely to have been grazing by sizeable flocks of sheep (Ecologia Environmental Consultants
1991), which has caused weed invasion and may have caused changes in structure due to selective grazing of
edible species. There is also evidence of quite extensive logging, and dieback may also have impacted the site
although there has not been any laboratory testing for the presence of the disease. Walkers also occasionally
use the area. Until recently, when the conservation significance of the area was noted (Ecologia
Environmental Consultants 1991) the Bushmead site was used as a training area for the Army’s Transport
Squadron. The use of four wheel drive vehicles may also have impacted the bushland areas of the site to
some extent through general disturbance and crushing of the vegetation and possibly spread of dieback.
The eastern shrublands and woodlands covers about 38 hectares of a total of 296.5 hectares occupied by
Bushmead Rifle Range. Another threatened ecological community - ‘Banksia attenuata over species rich
dense shrublands’ (Gibson et al. 1994 community type 20a; DEP 1996) occurs in the northern end of the
Bushmead Rifle Range. This community is endangered (English and Blyth 1997). A 120 ha area within the
296 hectare Bushmead Rifle Range, containing communities 20c and 20a, is on the Register of the National
Estate (Australian Heritage Commission 1997).
The Bushmead Rifle Range is owned by the Commonwealth for the use of the Australian Army. However,
much of the land is no longer required for their use and the Ministry for Planning is negotiating to acquire the
area. CALM is involved in discussions with the Ministry for Planning towards having some part of the rifle
range reserved for conservation, including the areas containing the threatened communities 20c and 20a.
1.3 Biology and ecology
The majority of Occurrence 1 and all of Occurrence 2 are within the Forrestfield Geomorphological Unit of
the Ridge Hill Shelf (Churchward and McArthur 1980). The Forrestfield unit is described by Churchward and
McArthur (1980) as gently undulating spurs at the foot of the scarp, and is dominated by gravely and sandy
soils. This area consists of coalescing alluvial fans at the bottom of the scarp and remnants of marine terraces
(Ecologia Environmental Consultants 1991). Both occurrences of this community occur mainly on sandy soils.
A very small proportion of Occurrence 1 on the western edge of reserve 23953 is mapped on the Guildford
Unit of the geomorphological group described as fluviatile deposits (Churchward and McArthur 1980). The
Guildford Unit is described as flat plain with medium textured deposits of yellow duplex soils, and is otherwise
known as the Guildford clays (Churchward and McArthur 1980). This Unit consists of an older layer of
alluvial clays on the eastern fringe of the Swan Coastal Plain.
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The composition of ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ reflects the transitional zone between the Darling
Scarp and the heavy soils on the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain (Gibson et al. 1994). Plant taxa that
commonly occur in the community at the Talbot Road occurrence and those present in the plot at Bushmead
Rifle Range are listed at Appendix 1 (from Gibson et al. 1994 and DEP 1996). The Talbot Road occurrence
is in better general condition and more diverse than that at Bushmead, but cover of weeds in much of the two
occurrences is generally low (B. Keighery personal communication).
The Talbot Road bushland contains a variety of soil types from sandy silts (colluvium) to sand, according to
Gozzard (1986). The structural units within this occurrence of the community vary from scrub to woodlands
of Banksia attenuata over dense shrubs, possibly reflecting the variation in soils at this site.
Occurrence 2 at Bushmead Rifle Range consists of open forest of Allocasuarina fraseriana and Banksia
attenuata , with varying dominance of Allocasuarina. The understorey in Occurrence 2 is much less diverse
than that in Occurrence 1. In places Adenanthos cygnorum forms dense stands under the trees at the
Bushmead site.
Species richness is high in the Occurrence at Talbot Road, with an average of 64 species occurring in nine
plots of 100 m2 for the plots located in the community in reserve 23953 (Gibson et al. 1994). This is in keeping
with the high species diversity noted for plant communities that occur on the Forrestfield Land Unit of the
Ridge Hill Shelf (Keighery and Keighery 1993). An average of four weed species was recorded in these
plots, which is relatively low. The diversity in the Bushmead occurrence is much lower, at 31 taxa recorded in
the single plot in the occurrence (DEP 1996). The lower diversity may reflect natural variation in the
community (B. Keighery personal communication), or be partly as a consequence of grazing, timber cutting
and possibly dieback caused by Phytophthora species and other disturbances (Ecologia Environmental
Consultants 1991). Only two weed species were recorded within the Bushmead plot, however, and this may
indicate that the community has not been markedly altered by such disturbances (B. Keighery personal
communication).
1.4 Hydrology
Drains from urbanised areas to the east flow into the Talbot Road bushland, and result in increased surface
flow through the reserve in unconfined drains. Dieback occurs adjacent to drains and may well be associated
with enhanced surface and subsurface flow of water. The local Nyoongar people have cultural links with
Blackadder Creek that runs through the Talbot Road bushland, and need to be consulted if any modifications
to the drainage or creekline are planned.
1.5 Threatening processes
1.5.1 Historical and current threatening processes
Clearing
Clearing for agriculture and urbanisation has been extensive on the Ridge Hill Shelf on the eastern side of the
Swan Coastal Plain, where the ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ community occurs. The type is also likely
to have been regionally rare prior to any clearing (Gibson et al. 1994). Hence, little remains of this
community.
The Talbot Road bushland contains several separate land titles, including a recreation reserve, two areas of
unallocated Crown land and a Cemetery reserve. None of these titles necessarily provide for protection of
conservation values, although the Shire of Swan has stated a commitment to protecting the nature
conservation values of recreation reserve 23593 (G. MacKinnon,2 personal communication). A Management
2
Grant MacKinnon, Shire of Swan, Morrison Road, Midland 6056
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Plan (Safstrom and Taman 1999) is now being applied to the entire Talbot Road bushland area as described in
Section 1.2.
The south-eastern portion of reserve 23953 was historically cleared and used for gravel extraction. Bushland
adjacent to reserve 23593 at Talbot Road is not protected from clearing and is not managed for conservation.
The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board may wish to clear the native bushland in reserve 6955 for their purposes
unless an appropriate alternative area can be provided. The two areas of unallocated Crown land within the
Talbot Road bushland are not dedicated for any specific purpose. These areas are therefore afforded minimal
on-ground management.
The Bushmead Rifle Range is currently in the care, control and management of the Commonwealth of
Australia. However, as mentioned above, CALM is negotiating to have the vesting of a significant proportion
of the area, including the part covered by this critically endangered community, placed in the National Parks
and Nature Conservation Authority as a conservation area.
Altered fire regimes
Mediterranean ecosystems would be adapted to fire and indeed may require a particular fire regime to assist
regeneration (Gill, et al. 1981). If an appropriate frequency of fires is exceeded however, species that are
obligate seeders may not have sufficient time to flower and produce seed. If the time between fires is too
long, obligate seeders may become senescent and be unable to regenerate. Therefore, fires must occur at
appropriate intervals and possibly the appropriate season and intensity to sustain the integrity of plant
communities. As this community is not well studied, little is known of its requirements in terms of fire regime
to maintain species composition. However, it is likely that the fire regimes in both occurrences have been
modified to more frequent fires, especially hot burns, since European settlement. The recent high frequency
of fires in the Talbot Road bushland (G. MacKinnon, personal communication) is likely to have favoured
plants that propagate by resprouting, and weeds.
All disturbance in remnants results in increasing weed invasion, particularly where remnants are small.
Therefore, fire frequency should be minimised unless future studies indicate the need to increase it for some
particular reason. In addition, the risk of fire is increased by the presence of grassy weeds in the understorey,
as they are likely to be more flammable than original native species in the herb layer. The fire frequency in
Talbot Road bushland has been very high recently and may well be impacting the community in terms of
structure, composition and level of weed invasion. The floristics of the site need to be monitored so that the
community’s response to fire can be determined.
Fire within Occurrence 2 at Bushmead Rifle Range would increase weed levels but also may induce
germination of seed stored within the soil. The area does not appear to have been burnt for many years and
grazing by sheep may have caused the loss of some species from the site that now only occur as propagules
in the soil.
Weed invasion
Weed invasion is usually enhanced by disturbances such as fires and grazing if weed propagules are present.
The occurrences of this community are close to agricultural or urban areas that act as weed sources, and
would be vulnerable to weed invasion following any disturbance. Current levels of weeds in Occurrences 1
and 2 are still quite low, however.
There are tracks through both occurrences of the community. Weeds have invaded to varying extents along
these tracks and such areas should be considered priority areas for weed control. In particular, piles of soil
scraped from tracks generally contain high concentrations of weeds and act as a source of weed invasion.
Such piles should be avoided when tracks are cleared, or be removed where they already exist.
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A weed control program would be necessary to maintain or improve the condition of occurrences of the
community in the long term. Panetta and Hopkins (1991) state that the aims of weed control are to maintain
the pre-invasion condition of the habitat (prevention); control or arrest ongoing weed invasion (intervention);
and reverse the degraded condition of the habitat where applicable (rehabilitation). A weed control program
would involve (adapted from Panetta and Hopkins 1991):
1. Accurately mapping the boundaries of weed populations
2. Selecting an appropriate herbicide or other method of weed control after determining which weeds are
present
3. Controlling weeds that pose the greatest threat to the community in the early stages of invasion where
possible eg; invasive perennial grasses
4. Rehabilitation through reintroduction of local native species where areas are no longer capable of
regenerating following weed control.
A disused gravel pit occurs in the south-east portion of reserve 23953. This area contains some significant
infestations of weeds.
Grazing
The Bushmead Rifle Range has been grazed by sizeable flocks of sheep over the years and this may have
altered the structure and composition of the plant community by trampling, selective grazing and causing weed
invasion.
Rabbits are impacting parts of Talbot Road bushland, particularly where recent fires have decreased the
density of understorey vegetation. They selectively graze more palatable species and spread weeds in their
droppings. A rabbit control program should be undertaken in this bushland area, taking care not to impact local
fauna.
Disease introduction
The community type appears to be quite susceptible to dieback caused by Phytophthora species and the
pathogen is common in Talbot Road bushland (Safstrom and Taman 1999). Further spread or amplification of
the disease should therefore be minimised wherever the community occurs by ensuring good hygiene
procedures. This would involve wash-down of any equipment used adjacent to the community. The drainage
waters flowing through Occurrence 1 may be carrying the pathogen and, as discussed below, may require
specific management.
The community in Bushmead Rifle Range also may have been impacted by dieback historically. This may
have been introduced and/or spread by vehicles, sheep or walkers.
Dieback causes loss of susceptible species and may result in altered composition and structure of vegetation.
The areas of infection should be mapped in Bushmead Rifle Range to help guide future management such as
rehabilitation, treatment of priority areas with phosphite which is used to control dieback, and closure of
specific tracks where vehicle or foot access may spread or amplify dieback impact.
Hydrological changes
Water from urban areas to the east of Talbot Road bushland is channelled into reserve 23953. This may be
implicated in introducing and/or amplifying dieback in the reserve and alternative strategies for drainage need
to be investigated.
The pollution of the surface waters with animal droppings or fertilisers would increase nutrient levels and,
hence, favour weed invasion because introduced species are generally adapted to higher nutrient levels than
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native Australian plants. Surface runoff of other pollutants into the community from surrounding lands is also
possible.
Erosion by wind and water
The unconfined drain through the Talbot Road bushland is resulting in noticeable levels of erosion and
redeposition of topsoil. This drain flows through the southern end of this critically endangered community and
other means of channelling water should be considered.
Note . All of the occurrences within the area considered under Perth’s Bushplan that contain the community
are included in the Perth’s Bushplan document (State of Western Australia 1998). This document provides
that any proposals likely to affect occurrences of threatened ecological communities will be dealt with through
the Bushplan process, coordinated between the Department of Environmental Protection, Ministry for
Planning, CALM and the Water and Rivers Commision. The aim of the Bushplan process is to protect listed
sites (State of Western Australia 1998).
1.6 Conservation status
The community meets criterion B (ii) as follows, for critically endangered (from English and Blyth 1997):
Current distribution is limited and there are very few occurrences, each of which is small and/or isolated and
extremely vulnerable to known threatening processes.
1.7 Strategy for recovery
To identify, and influence the management of, the areas in which the community occurs, so maintaining
natural biological and non biological attributes of the sites and the current area covered by the community.
To conduct appropriate research into the ecology of the community to develop further understanding about
the management actions required to maintain or improve the condition of the community.
2. RECOVERY OBJECTIVE AND CRITERIA
2.1 Objective
To maintain or improve the overall condition of the ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ and reduce the level
of threat with the aim of downgrading it from Critically Endangered to Endangered.
2.2.1 Criteria for success
1. An increase in the area, and number of occurrences, of this community under conservation management.
2. Maintenance in terms of diversity and basic composition of native species (as described in Gibson et al.
1994 and DEP 1996) as well as hydrological and biological processes, taking account of natural change of
the community over time.
3. Improvement in terms of reduction of numbers of exotic species (as described in Gibson et al. 1994 and
DEP 1996) and of other threatening processes as defined above.
2.2.2 Criterion for failure
Significant loss of area or further modification of occurrences of the threatened ecological community.
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3 RECOVERY ACTIONS
Note : The responsible authority is frequently listed as the relevant CALM District. This refers largely to
initiating and guiding actions. However, in general the relevant CALM District, in cooperation with the
Western Australian Threatened Species and Communities Unit (WATSCU) and the Recovery Team share
the primary responsibility for securing funds for recovery actions.
Wherever applicable, the detailed actions listed in the Management Plan for Talbot Road bushland (Safstrom
and Taman 1999) will be adopted for Occurrence 1.
3.1 Establish a Recovery Team
Responsibility: CALM (Western Australian Threatened Species and Communities Unit (WATSCU))
Cost: $0 (the small costs of attending meetings should be met by Recovery Team members)-
Completion date : Year 1
3.2 Liaise with current management bodies, owners, land managers and other interested groups to
implement recommendations held in this IRP
Both of the occurrences of the community are currently managed by authorities other than CALM, or are on
unallocated Crown land. The involvement of management bodies, land managers, relevant Aboriginal and
local community groups and industry in the recovery of the community wherever possible and practical is
therefore essential to the recovery process.
Stakeholders include the Friends of Talbot Road bushland group who are involved in the management of the
Talbot Road reserve, the Blackadder / Woodbridge Creek Catchment Group, and the local Nyoongar people
who have cultural links to the Blackadder Creek that runs through Talbot Road bushland. At the time of
writing this IRP the Commonwealth of Australia was the management body for the Bushmead Rifle Range.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; WATSCU)
Cost: Costs of all liaison $2,000 in 1999, $1,000 p.a. thereafter
Completion date : Ongoing.
3.3 Clarify and monitor the extent and boundaries of the community
The boundaries of the additional occurrence of the community listed in Perth’s Bushplan (State of Western
Australia 1998) and of any others identified in future will be determined.
Occurrences should be monitored every two years. Boundaries can be determined from current aerial
photographs and minimal on site checking. This information should be added to the threatened ecological
community database as recommended in English and Blyth (1997). English and Blyth (1997) also recommend
the establishment of a Geographic Information System database for information on threatened ecological
communities. When this is available, boundary information for occurrences of the community should be
included.
The boundaries of occurrences currently on the threatened ecological communities database have been
accurately mapped (Occurrence 1 by Keighery and Keighery 1993; Occurrence 2 from plot data and current
aerial photographs by V. English - unpublished data).
Responsibility: CALM, (Mundaring District; WATSCU)
Cost: $450 in 1999 and 2001
Completion date : Ongoing.
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3.4 Determine management requirements of any other identified occurrences
The management requirements of the additional occurrence of the community is listed in Perth’s Bushplan
(State of Western Australia 1998) and any others identified in future will be determined.
Responsibility: CALM, (Mundaring District; WATSCU)
Cost: Costs of all liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Ongoing.
3.5 Disseminate information about the community
To prevent accidental destruction of the community and gain public support for its conservation, it is
recommended that information about the community be provided by local CALM staff to all stakeholders
including management bodies, and managers of land containing the community. This would include
information from the threatened ecological community database, and maps indicating the location of the
community. This action is recommended in English and Blyth (1997).
Local CALM staff should ensure regular liaison with management bodies and managers of land containing
the community to ensure threatened ecological community information is up to date.
A publicity campaign utilising signs in reserves, local media, and poster displays in prominent areas should be
undertaken to encourage awareness about this threatened ecological community.
Responsibility: CALM (Corporate Relations Division; Mundaring District; WATSCU)
Cost: $1,500 in Year 1, $500 in Year 2
Completion date : Ongoing
3.6 Install markers to indicate the locations of occurrences of the community alongside
tracks, firebreaks and roads
CALM will mark, or encourage the management bodies to mark, roadside occurrences, and occurrences of
this ecological community located on tracks or firebreaks with the same pegs used to mark threatened flora,
to reduce the likelihood of accidental destruction. This action is recommended in English and Blyth (1997).
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; WATSCU), in consultation with management bodies of
occurrences
Cost: $500 in Year 1
Completion date : Year 1
3.7 Design and implement a flora monitoring program
Data collected should include weed levels, plant species diversity and species composition of flora.
Occurrences should be monitored two-yearly to provide information on condition. This information should be
added to the threatened ecological community database as recommended in English and Blyth (1997).
Floristic plots occur in both occurrences (total of 10 plots - Gibson et al. 1994; DEP 1996). Sufficient data
would probably be provided by detailed monitoring of one plot in the Banksia woodland and one in the
shrubland in Occurrence 1, and the single plot in Occurrence 2, along with photographic monitoring. The latter
would entail taking photographs at the monitoring plots as well as at several other plots or points in each of the
three areas referred to. All native and weed species were originally recorded, but density or cover values for
each species were not included in these data and would be essential for determining changes over time (eg as
a result of too frequent fire). Line intercept and photographic methods as described in Hopkins et al. (1987)
13
could be utilised to monitor these parameters, using permanent plots already in place from other surveys
(Gibson et al. 1994; DEP 1996).
Data should be entered on a database program and unfamiliar plant species should be collected (except
identified Declared Rare Flora). Following the second monitoring period, data should be analysed by the
methods of Gibson et al. (1994) and compared as part of the full Recovery Plan (RP), if a full RP is
developed.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District, WATSCU)
Cost: $1,500 every second year (for monitoring a total of 3 plots in the community for field
survey, specimen identification, and databasing for 1 monitoring period)
Completion date : Ongoing
3.8 Develop and Implement a Fire Management Strategy
3.8.1 Develop and implement a fire management strategy that encompasses the following
(3.7.1-3.7.4) and includes an annual fire monitoring and reporting schedule
There is a need for research into the recovery of the community from fire (to be completed under Action 3.6
- flora monitoring), and to determine the implications of findings for management. This would also include
developing a fire history map of each occurrence, which is updated annually. As little is known of the
response of the community to fire, no planned burn should be implemented for the life of this IRP, unless
results of future studies suggest it is necessary and urgent.
A Fire Management Plan has been developed for reserve 23953 by the WA Fire and Rescue Service, Shire
of Swan and CALM (Appendix 2). It specifies no planned burns without consultation with CALM, no
construction of new fire-breaks, a fire-fighting strategy, implementation of dieback hygiene for all vehicles,
routine fuel and weed monitoring, and maintenance of fire-breaks. A similar plan should be developed for
Occurrence 2, using the plan for Talbot Road Bushland as a guide. The Fire and Rescue Service, in liaison
with CALM’s Perth and Mundaring Districts, is developing Fire Management Plans for all remnants that
contain occurrences of threatened ecological communities in their districts. Close liaison with all stakeholders
is required to develop such Fire Management Plans.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District) in consultation with all stakeholders
Cost: $850 for development of plan (for Occurrence 2); costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Year 1
3.8.2 Ensure maintenance of strategic firebreaks to help prevent fire spreading to the
community
Fire-breaks are maintained by Shire of Swan in Talbot Road bushland, and maintenance is specified as routine
in the Fire Management Plan for the remnant. A number of tracks in this occurrence may need to be
rehabilitated, if not required as part of the system of strategic fire-breaks, to prevent spread or intensification
of dieback, further weed invasion etc. Wherever possible, herbicides should be used to maintain fire-breaks,
to reduce the spread of dieback and weeds. Local CALM staff should be involved in planning fire-break
construction and maintenance for occurrences of the community. No new fire-breaks should be constructed
within this community.
No new fire-breaks should be constructed or existing breaks upgraded around occurrences of this community
on CALM managed lands (if occurrences become vested in the NPNCA) without the approval of the
Director of Nature Conservation.
14
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District) in consultation with management bodies of occurrences;
liaison with surrounding landholders
Cost: Cost of maintaining fire-breaks $1,000 pa; costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Ongoing
3.8.3 Liaise with surrounding landholders to ensure that strategies for fuel reduction on their
lands do not impact the community
Burning at inappropriate times when fires are likely to spread to adjacent lands should be avoided.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District); liaison with surrounding landholders
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Ongoing
3.8.4 Ensure fire suppression actions do not impact the community
CALM will liaise with fire-fighting authorities to ensure that they recognise the importance of not constructing
new tracks during their operations, including during wildfires. The use of heavy machinery to create new fire-
breaks within the community should be avoided as additional disturbance would encourage further weed
invasion, and chemicals that may be toxic to the community should not be used. Guidelines for appropriate fire
suppression actions have been developed for reserve 23953 and should be applied to the remainder of Talbot
Road bushland. Similar guidelines should be developed for the remnant that contains Occurrence 2, based on
those developed for the Talbot Road Reserve.
The Fire Management Plan for Talbot Road bushland specifies no new fire-breaks, implementing dieback
hygiene for the remnant, and notes the location of significant areas that include the locations of Priority taxa,
and threatened ecological communities.
A local CALM staff member should be present during wildfires and controlled burns in remnants that contain
occurrences of the community, to advise on protecting the conservation values of the community.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District); in liaison with local Bush Fire Brigades and Fire and
Rescue Service
Cost: Costs of preparation of guidelines and liaison included in 3.7.1 and 3.2; additional funds
for District staff to attend fires in the community - $500 pa
Completion date : Ongoing
3.9 Ensure hygiene conditions
Risk of introduction or amplification of disease should be minimised by ensuring good hygiene procedures.
This would involve washdown of any equipment used adjacent to the community, and restricting access by
vehicles and machinery to dry soil conditions.
Standard practice should therefore be that all vehicles using tracks through remnants that contain the
community be free of soil, or plant propagules, and that no vehicles drive off existing tracks on these
remnants.
Responsibility: All personnel operating machinery in the occurrences
Cost: Costs of all liaison to be undertaken by CALM (Mundaring District), is included in 3.2;
other costs to be underwritten by user of machinery
Completion date : Ongoing
3.10 Monitor dieback and determine priority areas for dieback treatment
15
Priority areas for dieback treatment in Occurrence 1 are indicated in Safstrom and Taman (1999). Data on
dieback presence and impact, and future biodiversity implications (such as loss or decline of Priority taxa, or
structurally or functionally important taxa) are likely to be important determinants of the priority of treatment
of individual occurrences. Occurrence 1 is a higher priority for dieback treatment as it is in the best condition,
contains a number of Priority flora, and is currently showing signs of dieback infection.
The dieback front in Occurrence 1 should be monitored at least every five years in summer and flagging
marking the front replaced regularly. Additional plot information (refer 3.6) would provide useful monitoring
data for all sites.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District) in consultation with management bodies of occurrences
Cost: $4,200 (spent on dieback survey)
Completion date : Ongoing
3.11 Implement dieback treatments
Safstrom and Taman (1999) describe a dieback treatment strategy for Talbot Road bushland. With the
cooperation of management bodies, such a strategy should initially be implemented in the highest priority areas
of Occurrence 1 and if necessary be extended to areas of the community in Bushmead Rifle Range if and
when they are vested in the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority. The protocol will incorporate
results of monitoring from current and future methods of experimental dieback treatments.
Experimental dieback management using a crop dusting aircraft to spread phosphite was begun in May 1996
in another critically endangered community the ‘shrublands on southern ironstones’ at Busselton. This
technique may also be suitable for areas of the community remote from houses in Talbot Road bushland.
If aerial spraying is adopted, the ecological community should be sprayed twice at six-week intervals with
20% phosphite at 30 litres per hectare (L/ha). Spraying should be undertaken in autumn, winter or spring and
the spread of the disease then monitored (as per Action 3.9). Additional treatment should be undertaken when
active dieback is again noted, or within approximately one to two years, whichever comes first (F. Bunny3,
personal communication).
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District, Dieback Coordination Group, CALMScience Division,
WATSCU) in consultation with management bodies of occurrences
Cost: $4,100 in Year 1, $800 in Year 2
Completion date : Ongoing
3.12 Assess and monitor weed populations
Weed populations should be accurately mapped and appropriate herbicides or other method of weed control
determined.
Local groups should be encouraged to participate in these surveys.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District) in consultation with management bodies and managers of
occurrences
Cost: $1,000 every second year for monitoring boundaries of weeds that pose the greatest
threat to the community. Monitoring of weed densities to be incorporated into Action
3.6
Completion date : Ongoing
3
Felicity Bunny, formerly CALM dieback researcher
16
3.13 Implement weed control, replanting and rehabilitation where necessary
Initial stages of rehabilitation should involve control of perennial weeds and their replacement with appropriate
local species, where applicable. The highest priority should be controlling weeds that pose the greatest threat
to the community, where possible in the early stages of invasion, eg Watsonia and invasive perennial grasses
such as veldt grass (Erharta calycina). High priority actions may also include the removal of piles of soil
scraped from tracks that contain high concentrations of weeds and act as a source of weed invasion. Local
species that are suitable for replanting should be identified from Plot data for each occurrence in Gibson et al.
(1994) and DEP (1996), and from monitoring data collected under 3.6. These should then be propagated from
stock from the same reserve to preserve local provenance.
Occurrence 1 is a high priority for weed control and management as weeds are in low numbers and the
vegetation generally is in better condition than that in Occurrence 2.
Talbot Road bushland is used for illegal rubbish dumping and Shire of Swan and Friends of Talbot Road
reserve group are constantly removing refuse from reserve 23953.
The issues of weed control, rehabilitation and rubbish collection are considered in detail for Occurrence 1 by
Safstrom and Taman (1999).
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District) in liaison with management bodies of occurrences
Cost: Occurrence 1: $21,600 in 1999, $20,000 in 2000, and $19,800 for weed control (whole
remnant) (costs for weed control Occurrence 2 $500 pa.); costs of rehabilitation $2,600
in 2000; $7,500 in 2001
Completion date : Ongoing
3.14 Ensure fences are constructed where necessary to protect the community
Appropriate fencing for both occurrences would permit authorised vehicle access for operational purposes,
allow foot access and protect rehabilitation areas in high usage zones where necessary.
Occurrence 1 is suffering some degradation from the impact of recreational use such as illegal use by trail
bikes and four wheel drive vehicles, and from littering, although it is partly fenced. The fencing of much of the
remaining boundary of reserve 23953 at Talbot Road (approximately 150 m) will be completed under
conditions of subdivision for surrounding developments (G. MacKinnon, personal communication). The
remnant in this reserve is contiguous with partially fenced remnant vegetation in two areas of unallocated
Crown land and a cemetery reserve, to the south west. Fencing has been completed around the perimeter of
this entire remnant except an approximately 280 m strip beside the unallocated Crown land along Myles Road
to the north of the cemetery (G. MacKinnon, personal communication).
In the event of successful negotiation by CALM to secure tenure of the remnant that contains the community
at Bushmead, fencing may need to be constructed to restrict inappropriate access to the site.
The perimeter of the Bushmead Rifle Range is already fenced, but the area is likely to be split into a number
of lots managed by different authorities. Appropriate locations for fences to protect the ‘eastern shrublands
and woodlands’ should be determined once the cadastral boundaries are determined.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District), Shire of Swan - Occurrence 1. CALM (Mundaring
District) responsible for fencing the portion of Bushmead Rifle Range that becomes
vested in the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority (NPNCA)
17
Cost: Costs of fencing remainder of Talbot Road bushland $5,800 in 1999 plus $5,100 pa for
maintenance. Cost of fencing Occurrence 2 $4,000 plus $3,000 pa for maintenance.
Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Occurrence 1 ongoing; Occurrence 2 - to be determined by timing of reservation of
remnant containing occurrence
3.15 Design and conduct research
Research should be designed to increase the understanding of the biological and ecological characteristics of
the community to assist future management decisions. Such research should include:
1. The impact of weeds on the community.
2. The effectiveness of different herbicide treatments.
3. The role of disturbance in regeneration of the community.
4. The recovery of the community following wild fires (this will be considered in the Fire Management Plan
developed under 3.7).
5. The development of a monitoring system. Protocols will be developed based on recommendations held in
English and Blyth (1997).
6. Investigations into significant biological processes in the community eg pollination biology, germination
requirements, longevity and time taken to reach maturity of important plant taxa in the community.
Responsibility: CALM (CALMScience Division; Mundaring District; WATSCU)
Cost: Recovery Team to determine costs and likely funds available through other sources
and to recommend a research program and sources of funds to CALM
Completion date : No date set
3.16 Report on success of management strategies
Reporting should be part of annual reports prepared by the Recovery Team for CALM’s Corporate
Executive. A final report would be presented as part of or complementary to the full recovery plan for the
community, if a full recovery plan is necessary.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; WATSCU); Recovery Team
Cost: $2,000
Completion date: Year 3
Specific Management Actions - Talbot Road Bushland - Occurrence 1
Note : The same recommendations for Talbot Road bushland are in the Interim Recovery Plan for the other
critically endangered community that occurs in the area - the ‘
Eucalyptus calophylla - Xanthorrhoea
preissii woodlands and shrublands’.
3.17 Develop management plan
A detailed Management Plan is being completed for Talbot Road bushland (Safstrom and Taman 1999).
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District); liaison with Shire of Swan and Metropolitan Cemeteries
Board
Cost: $20,000 to develop plans; costs of liaison included as part of 3.2 Occurrence 2 – timing
and cost to be determined by timing of transfer of care, control and management of
remnant
Completion date : Year 1
18
3.18 Amalgamate unallocated Crown land with reserve 23953
The tenure of all land parcels in Talbot Road bushland is considered in Perth’s Bushplan (State of Western
Australia 1998) and in the detailed management plan (Safstrom and Taman 1999).
Remnant vegetation in Talbot Road bushland should be managed for conservation. Towards that end,
negotiations to have Swan Locations 11314 and 11764 (northern and southern areas of unallocated Crown
land within the remnant that also contains reserve 23953) amalgamated with reserve 23953 should be
continued.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; Land Acquisitions Section); Shire of Swan, DOLA
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Year 2
3.19 Negotiate to transfer care, control and maintenance of bushland remnant in reserve
6955 to Shire of Swan if necessary
In the event of an unsatisfactory outcome for reserve 6955 from recommendations 3.16 and 3.17 in this IRP,
and in Perth’s Bushplan (State of Western Australia 1998), CALM will liaise with relevant agencies to seek
to locate land suitable for the use and requirements of the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board. If such a site is
found, CALM will pursue amalgamation of ‘Cemeteries’ reserve 6955 with reserve 23953.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; Land Administration Section); liaison with Metropolitan
Cemeteries Board; Shire of Swan; and DOLA
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Year 2
3.20 Alter the purpose of reserve 23953 to ‘Conservation and Recreation’
Following implementation of Recommendations 3.17 (and 3.18 if achieved), negotiate to have the purpose of
amalgamated reserve 23953 altered to ‘Conservation and Recreation’.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; Land Acquisitions Section); Shire of Swan, DOLA
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Year 2
3.21 Implement drainage strategy
The unconfined drain through Talbot Road bushland may be spreading and causing intensification of dieback
in this and other adjacent plant communities (J. Carter, V. English personal observation). A strategy to
confine or divert the drainage waters into the Blackadder Creek so that the hydrology of adjacent areas
returns to a more natural state, will be implemented as part of that the plan being developed by Safstrom and
Taman (1999). The Nyoongar Aboriginal people have cultural links to Blackadder Creek that runs through the
remnant and should be consulted with regard to any changes to drainage in the Talbot Road bushland.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District); Shire of Swan; Water Corporation in consultation with
appropriate Aboriginal groups
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2; diversion of drainage $600 in 2000; $24,700 in 2001
(from Safstrom and Taman 1999)
Completion date : Year 2
3.22 Design and implement a rabbit control program for Talbot Road bushland
19
A rabbit control program should be implemented in the eastern portion of Talbot Road bushland where recent
fires have disturbed the understorey vegetation. Care should be taken not to impact local fauna.
Levels of rabbit control with baiting will depend on the combined effects of the two viruses, Myxomatosis and
Calicivirus, the last of which occurs in a patchy manner in the metropolitan area. Although these two viruses
provide excellent results in some areas they must still be supported by other control methods. Baiting for
rabbits using Pindone is likely to be the most viable option, as use of 1080 may result in poisoning of dogs and
cats. Pindone can only be used where macropods are not present, however. Baiting is generally conducted in
summer and repeated each year if rabbits reappear in future years (T. Black4 personal communication).
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District); Shire of Swan; Agriculture Western Australia
Cost: $1,300 pa for baiting of Talbot Road bushland using Pindone
Completion date : Ongoing
3.23 Negotiate to transfer the care, control and management of reserve 23953 if necessary
If effective management for conservation of Occurrence 1 seems unlikely to result from recommendations
3.16 - 3.21 held in this IRP, CALM should negotiate to have (the amalgamated) reserve 23953 declared Class
A for the purpose of ‘Conservation of Flora and Fauna’ and have it vested in the National Parks and Nature
Conservation Authority.
Responsibility: CALM (Mundaring District; Land Administration Section); DOLA
Cost: Costs of liaison included as part of 3.2
Completion date : To be determined if necessary
Specific Management Actions - Bushmead Rifle Range - Occurrence 2
3.24 Place management of threatened ecological communities and buffers in the NPNCA
CALM will continue to negotiate to have the threatened ecological communities and suitable buffer areas
within Bushmead Rifle Range declared a Class A reserve for the purpose of ‘Conservation of Flora and
Fauna’ vested in the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority (NPNCA).
Negotiations are taking place between the Ministry for Planning and the Commonwealth to have the
ownership of the whole rifle range transferred to the WA Planning Commission. CALM would then seek to
have portions of the rifle range area vested with the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority. The
endangered community ‘Banksia attenuata over species rich dense shrublands’ as described by Gibson et
al. (1994) also occurs in the rifle range area. This community and the remainder of the remnant that provides
a buffer for it and the remnant containing and buffering the ‘eastern shrublands and woodlands’ should be
acquired as conservation reserve.
Responsibility: CALM (Land Administration Section); liaison with Ministry for Planning,
Commonwealth of Australia and DOLA
Cost: Costs of liaison included in 3.2
Completion date : Year 2
4
Terry Black, Agriculture Western Australia, Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, 6151
20
Table 2: Summary of recovery actions
Recovery Action Occurrences Responsibility Completion date
Establish Recovery Team All CALM (WATSCU) Year 1
Liaise with landholders, All CALM (Mundaring District, Ongoing
management bodies and managers WATSCU)
Clarify and monitor boundaries All CALM (Mundaring District, Ongoing
WATSCU)
Determine management All CALM, (Mundaring District; Ongoing
requirements of other occurrences WATSCU)
Disseminate information All CALM (Corporate Relations Ongoing
Division, Mundaring District,
WATSCU)
Install markers All CALM (Mundaring District, Year 2
WATSCU)
Monitor flora All CALM (Mundaring District, Ongoing
WATSCU)
Develop Fire Management 2 CALM (Mundaring District, Occurrence 1 has existing Plan.
Strategy WATSCU) in consultation with all Plan for Occurrence 2 to be
stakeholders completed December 1999.
Implement fire management All CALM (Mundaring District) in Ongoing
strategy liaison with Bush Fire Brigades, Fire
and Rescue Service
Implement dieback hygiene All All personnel operating machinery Ongoing
in the occurrences
Monitor dieback All CALM (Mundaring District) Ongoing
Implement dieback treatments 1 CALM (Mundaring District) Ongoing
Assess and monitor weed All CALM (Mundaring District) Ongoing
populations
Implement weed control All CALM (Mundaring District) Ongoing
Fence Occurrence 1 1 CALM (Mundaring District), Shire Maintenance ongoing
of Swan
Fence Occurrence 2 2 CALM (Mundaring District) To be determined
Develop Management Plan 1 CALM (Mundaring, District); Year 1
management bodies
Amalgamate VCL (Swan Locations 1 CALM (Mundaring District, Land Year 2
11314 and 11764), and remnant in Acquisitions Section), DOLA, Shire
reserve 6955 if necessary, with of Swan, Cemeteries Board
reserve 23953
Alter purpose of reserve 23953 1 CALM (Mundaring District), Year 2
DOLA, Shire of Swan
Implement drainage strategy 1 CALM (Mundaring District), Shire Year 2
of Swan, relevant Aboriginal
Groups, WRC
Control rabbits 1 CALM (Mundaring District), Shire Ongoing
of Swan, Agriculture WA
Place care, control and 2 CALM (Mundaring District, Land Year 2
management of threatened Acquisitions Section); liaison with
communities with NPNCA Commonwealth of Australia, DOLA,
MFP
Replant / rehabilitate 1 CALM (Mundaring District), Shire Ongoing
of Swan
Conduct research (cost to be All CALM (SID, Mundaring District, No date set
determined) WATSCU)
Report on management strategies All CALM (Mundaring District, Year 3
WATSCU), Recovery Team
Negotiate to transfer reserve 1 CALM (Mundaring District, Land As required
23953 to NPNCA Acquisitions Section)
21
Table 3: Summary of costs for each recovery action
Recovery Action Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Establish Recovery Team -
Liaise with landholders, management bodies and land 2,000 1,000 1,000
managers
Clarify and monitor boundaries 450 450
Determine management requirements of other -
occurrences
Disseminate information 1,500 500
Install markers 500
Monitor flora 1,500 1,500
Develop Fire Management Strategy 850
Implement Fire Management Strategy, 1,500 1,500 1,500
Implement dieback hygiene - - -
Monitor dieback 4,200
Implement dieback treatments 4,100 800
Monitor weed populations 1,000 1,000
Implement weed control 22,100 20,500 20,300
Fence Occurrence 1 5,800 5,100 5,100
Fence Occurrence 2 (timing dependent on revesting) 4,000 3,000
Develop Management Plan for Occurrence 1 20,000
Amalgamate VCL (Swan Locations 11314 and 11764), -
and remnant in reserve 6955 if necessary, with reserve
23953,
Alter purpose of reserve 23953 -
Implement drainage strategy (for Occurrence 1) 600 24,700
Control rabbits 1,300 1,300 1,300
Vest threatened communities in Bushmead Rifle -
Range in NPNCA
Replant / rehabilitate 2,600 7,500
Conduct research To be
determined
Report on management strategies - 2,000
Negotiate to transfer reserve 23953 to NPNCA -
Total 66,800 37,100 70,150
Summary of costs over three years
Total $174,050
22
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The National Reserve System Program of Environment Australia funded the project entitled ‘identifying and
conserving threatened ecological communities in the south west botanical province’. The project confirmed
the threatened status of this plant community.
The following people provided valuable advice and assistance in the preparation of this Interim Recovery
Plan;
John Carter CALM Mundaring District Office
Bronwen Keighery and Natalie Thorning Department of Environmental Protection
Neil Gibson, Greg Keighery and John Blyth CALM, Wildlife Research Centre Woodvale
Grant MacKinnon Swan Shire Council
Lyndon Mutter CALM Perth District
David Mitchell CALM Swan Region
Terry Black Agriculture Western Australia
Friends of Talbot Road reserve
REFERENCES
Australian Heritage Commission (1997). Register of the National Estate Database Natural and
Aboriginal Places. Unpublished report. Australian Capital Territory.
Churchward, H.M. and McArthur, W.M. (1980). Landforms and Soils of the Darling System. In: Atlas of
Natural Resources, Darling System, Western Australia . Department of Conservation and
Environment, Western Australia.
Department of Conservation and Land Management (1997). Declared Rare and Priority Flora List for
Western Australia. CALM, Perth.
Department of Environmental Protection (1996). System 6 and part System 1 update program. Unpublished
bushland plot and area records. EPA, Perth, Western Australia.
Ecologia Environmental Consultants (1991). Bushmead Rifle Range Development Draft Environmental
Impact Statement: Biological Survey. Unpublished report for Australian Property Group.
English, V. and Blyth, J. (1997). Identifying and Conserving Threatened Ecological Communities in the
South West Botanical Province. Project N702, Final Report to Environment Australia. Department of
Conservation and Land Management. Perth, Western Australia.
Gibson, N., Keighery, B., Keighery, G., Burbidge, A and Lyons, M. (1994). A floristic survey of the
Southern Swan Coastal Plain. Unpublished report for the Australian Heritage Commission prepared
by Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Conservation Council of Western
Australia (Inc.).
Gill, A.M., Groves, R.H. and Noble, I.R. (eds) (1981). Fire and the Australian Biota . Australian Academy
of Science. Canberra, ACT.
Gozzard, J.R. (1986). Perth Sheet 2034 II and part Sheets 2134 III, Environmental Geology Series.
Geological Survey of Western Australia, Department of Minerals and Energy, Perth.
Helyar, K. (1994). Dieback Interpreters Procedural Manual. Department of Conservation and Land
Management. Perth.
23
Hopkins, A.J.M., Brown, J.M. and Goodsell, J.T. (1987). A Monitoring System for Use in the Management
of Natural Areas in Western Australia. Pp 337-339 in Nature Conservation: the Role of Remnants
of Native Vegetation ed. by D.A. Saunders, G.W. Arnold, A.A. Burbidge, and A.J.M. Hopkins.
Surrey Beatty and Sons Pty Limited. Chipping Norton, NSW.
How, R.A., Harvey, M.S., Dell, J., and Waldock, J.M. (1996). Ground Fauna of Urban Bushland
Remnants in Perth . Report N93/04 to the Australian Heritage Commission prepared by the Western
Australian Museum.
Keighery, G.J. and Keighery, B.J. (1993). Floristics of Reserves and Bushland Areas of the Perth Region
(System 6). Parts V - IX. Wildflower Society of Western Australia (Inc.), Nedlands.
Keighery. B. And Trudgen, M (1992). Remnant Vegetation on the Alluvial Soils of the Eastern Side of
the Swan Coastal Plain. Unpublished report for Department of Conservation and Land Management,
Australian Heritage Commission and Heritage Council of WA.
Panetta, F.D and Hopkins, A.J.M (1991). Weeds in Corridors: Invasion and Management. Pp 341-351 in
Nature Conservation 2 the Role of Corridors ed by D.A. Saunders, and R.J Hobbs. Surrey Beatty
& Sons Pty Limited, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Safstrom, R. and Taman, L. (1999). Talbot Road Bushland draft management plan. Prepared for the
Friends of Talbot Road Reserve, Shire of Swan and Department of Conservation and Land
Management. Perth, Western Australia.
State of Western Australia 1998. Perth’s Bushplan. Western Australian Planning Commission, Perth.
24
APPENDIX 1
Plant taxa that occurred in at least 50% of plots in the community ‘eastern shrublands and
woodlands’ in reserve 23953 - Occurrence 1 (from Gibson et al. 1994), and taxa present in the
single plot in the Occurrence 2 (from DEP 1996).
Species Common in Present in Occurrence Status
Occurrence 1 2
Acacia auronitens +
Acacia sessilis +
Acacia willdenowiana +
Adenanthos cygnorum +
Allocasuarina fraseriana +
Allocasuarina humilis +
Amphipogon turbinatus +
Anigozanthus humilis +
Anigozanthus manglesii +
Arnocrinum preissii +
Astroloma stromarrhena +
Banksia attenuata +
Banksia menziesii +
Bossiaea eriocarpa +
* Briza maxima +
Burchardia umbellata + +
Caladenia flava Calytrix +
angulata Caustis dioica +
Chamaescilla corymbosa +
+
Conospermum stoechadis +
Conostylis aculeata +
Conostylis aurea + +
Conostylis juncea +
Conostylis setosa +
Dasypogon bromeliifolius + +
Dasypogon obliquifolius +
Drosera glandulifera +
Drosera stolonifera + +
Dryandra nivea +
Eremaea asterocarpa subsp. +
asterocarpa
Eriostemon spicatus +
* Gladiolus caryophyllaceus + +
Gompholobium tomentosum +
Haemodorum laxum +
Hibbertia hypericoides +
Hibbertia huegelii +
Hybanthus calycinus +
Hypolaena exsulca +
* Hypochaeris glabra +
Isopogon drummondii + Priority 3
Isotropis cuneifolia +
Jacksonia densiflora / floribunda +
complex
Jacksonia sternbergiana +
Johnsonia pubescens +
Lambertia multiflora var. + Priority 3
darlingensis ms
Laxmannia sessiliflora subsp. +
australis
Lepidosperma exsul +
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Species Common in Present in Occurrence Status
Occurrence 1 2
Leporella fimbriata +
Lomandra hermaphrodita + +
Loxocarya flexuosa +
Lyginia barbata + +
Mesomelaena pseudostygia + +
Neurachne alopecuroidea + +
Patersonia occidentalis + +
Petrophile linearis +
Podolepis gracilis +
Pterostylis recurva +
Scaevola canescens +
Scaevola repens var. repens +
Schoenus brevisetis complex +
Schoenus caespitosa +
Schoenus curvifolius +
Scholtzia involucrata +
Stipa compressa +
Stipa pychnostachya +
Stirlingia latifolia +
Tetraria octandra +
Thysanotus sparteus +
Thysanotus thyrsoideus +
Trachymene pilosa + +
Tricoryne elatior +
Tricostularia neesii +
* Ursinia anthemoides + +
Verticordia densiflora +
Note: status is derived from CALM 1998 (see Glossary)
* - Introduced species
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APPENDIX 2
Fire Management Plan for Talbot Road Reserve
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GLOSSARY
Alluvial - sediments deposited by running water
Colluvial - loose and incoherent soil deposits, usually at the foot of a slope or cliff and brought down by
gravity
Fluviatile - found in or near rivers
DEFINITIONS OF FLORA STATUS, (FROM CALM 1998)
Priority 2 ‘taxa which are known from one or a few populations, at least some of which are not believed to
be under immediate threat.’
Priority 3 ‘taxa which are known from several populations, at least some of which are not believed to be
under immediate threat.’
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